Library Guides: Prices and Wages by Decade: 1830-1839

Wages in the United States, 1830-1839

Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1818-1948
Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions. Data for years: 1818, 1826, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1940, 1948. Read the explanation and historical context for this table.
Building-trades wages - 1800 through 1836
Wages of bricklayers, carpenters, masons, etc. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor Monthly Labor Review
Navy pay charts (U.S.) - 1814-1893
This is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. If you need original government documents showing pay, contact us.
Women's wages in the 1830s
Federal report tells wages and working conditions for women in the early 1800s. Wages in the 1830s are discussed in general on pages 23, 26, 27. Wages for domestic servants, for textile workers and women who made clothing are in other chapters. Piecework rates for union workers in New York are listed in the appendix on pages 260-261. The appendix also shows the average weekly earnings for girls working in book binderies in Philadelphia in 1835. Wages for additional jobs are discussed elsewhere in the volume.

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Source: Report on Condition of Woman and Child Wage Earners in the United States (1910), vol. 9.
Salaries of governors, state officials and legislators - 1830
Find the salaries under the section "Officers and their salaries" listed beneath each state in the table of contents for this source, the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for 1830. Enter the page number in the "Jump to page" box. See example for Massachusetts. Use other editions to get salary data for additional years through 1860.
Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Historical chart shows salaries of members of the U.S. Congress, along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
Historical Statistics of the United States: Millennial Edition Online
Shows wages recorded in manuscripts found at local historical societies and state archives. Requires MU login to access, but non-affiliated individuals may pay for limited-time access.

Wages reported at State and Local Levels, 1830-1839

WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1830s

See tabs above for additional states

Teacher wages in Massachusetts, by town - 1838
Average monthly wages for school teachers, by county and then town. Reports wages paid to males separately from the average paid to females. Also reports the value of board to men and women. Use the Table of Contents to find the page number for any other Massachusetts town, then enter it in the "Jump to" box.
Wages by occupation in Massachusetts (1830s)
From the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.

WAGES in NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1830s

See tabs above for additional states

New Hampshire wages, 1830s
The 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of wages dating from the 1830s; pages 41-45 focus on 1830-1840.
Clergy salary in 1830s
This publication tells the salary of a Presbyterian reverend for 1833 in Chester and of a minister in Candia from 1819-1832 and 1833-1841. Source: History of old Chester [N.H.] from 1719 to 1869 by Benjamin Chase (1869).

Wages, 1830s - Analysis

Nineteenth Century Wage Trends
Brief 30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Staff Paper #2.
"How Much is that in Real Money? A Historical Price Index..."
Provides explanations and charts to help users calculate the current value of historic dollar amounts. Source: Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Association, Vol. 101 #2. Source
Measuring Worth (website)
Website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand the modern value of historic money in America, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Prices and Wages in Maryland, 1750-1850
This article by Donald R. Adams provides great context for the data. It appeared in the September 1986 issue of Journal of Economic History. Available to MU affiliates and other JStor subscribers.
Prices and Wages in Antebellum America: the West Virginia Experience
Article by Donald R. Adams was printed in the March 1992 issue of Journal of Economic History. Available to MU affiliates and JStor subscribers.
Wage rates on the Erie Canal, 1828-1881
This item is presently in copyright so it will be necessary to either find it in a library, or contact us for a lookup.

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1830s

European wages by occupation and country, 1830s
1839 book printed in Edinburgh, Scotland tells wages for a variety of occupations in England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Austria, Prussia and Switzerland. It is not a government publication but it does appear to cite local government data.
United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886
Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
Wages in Australia and Tasmania, 1836
Section titled "Prices and Wages in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land" also shows cost to buy necessary items and rent. Source: Journal of the Statistical Society of London

Prices in the United States, 1830-1839

PRICES for FOOD, 1830s

Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1830s
This U.S. Treasury document shows prices for each month as well as yearly averages from 1825-1863 for flour, rice, fruits, fish, pork, beef, butter, cheese, salt, sugar, molasses, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea, tobacco, candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Items priced are by the barrel or the ton are likely wholesale prices.
Price of wheat and fowls in Albany, New York - 1793-1846
Table reports annual data for price of wheat and fowls as well as wages paid for one day's service for every year from 1793-1846.
Food, fuel and provisions - Prices in Ohio cities, 1825-1892
Shows high, low and average "selling prices" for a variety of food items such as eggs, meats, coffee, molasses and more, as well as soap, hay, coal, etc.for each year during the 1830s. Prices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 799-801. Prices in Columbus for 1835-1839 are on pages 815-816. Both are part of a longer table that shows annual price data from 1825-1892. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th annual report.
Prices paid for items purchased by Native Americans, 1838-1839
This document shows how much the Caddo Indian tribe in the Louisiana/ east Texas area paid to purchase items such as frying pans, fur hats, children's shoes, men's boots, tobacco, sugar, coffee, corn, pork, whiskey, brandy, gin, dishes, calico cloth, scissors, needles, rifles, saddlebags, etc. Prices are recorded in a congressional document.
Prices paid by trappers in the American west, 1830s
This memoir from Alexander Majors, "70 Years on the Frontier" tells some typical prices paid by trappers. Not a government document.
Massachusetts - Prices for food
Unless noted otherwise, the extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Dairy products
  Price per pound of butter back to 1760s; eggs and cheese back to 1750s; quarts of milk back to 1770s.
- Food preparations
  Prices for individual biscuits back to 1770s, sugar, salt and tea back to 1750s. Bread, lemons, chocolate, coffee, crackers, raisins, lard, macaroni, molasses, and more. Tea is extensively subdivided by type and priced by the pound.
- Flour and Meal
  Flour, buckwheat flour, graham flour, "Indian Meal," rye meal, oatmeal, wheat bran and more priced by the pound or bushel.
- Agricultural products (Fruits, vegetables, grains)
  Reported for almost every year as far back as the 1750s.
- Meats and Nuts
  Prices by the pound for bacon, beef, ham, lamb, mutton, pork, etc. in some cases dating to the 1750s. The table for nuts includes prices by the pound for almonds, filberts and walnuts.
- Poultry and game
  Price per pound of goose, turkey, and poultry back to 1758.
- Fish
  Prices for halibut, herring, haddock, salmon, codfish, eels, etc. by the pound.
- Liquors and Beverages
  Prices by the quart or gallon for beer to 1812, brandy to 1782, cider to 1755, wine to 1783, gin to 1784, rum to 1761, and more. Prices indicate source in some instances, for example, Gin from Holland or Rum from the West Indies.
- Spices and condiments
  Prices by the pound or ounce for wide variety of spices. The earliest spice prices date to 1780s. Price of vinegar dates to 1760s.
Ohio prices, 1830-1862
Table shows the price of coffee, sugar and tallow candles by the pound; corn and wheat by the bushel and hogs per each 100 pounds for each of these years: 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860, 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual Report (1863).

PRICES for HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1830s

Prices paid for items purchased by Native Americans, 1838-1839
This document shows how much the Caddo Indian tribe in the Louisiana/ east Texas area paid to purchase items such as frying pans, fur hats, children's shoes, men's boots, tobacco, sugar, coffee, corn, pork, whiskey, brandy, gin, dishes, calico cloth, scissors, needles, rifles, saddlebags, etc. Prices are recorded in a congressional document.
Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1830s
This congressional document shows prices for each month from 1825-1863 for many food items as well as tobacco, candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Some items are priced are by the barrel or the ton, but others are priced by the gallon or pound.
Food, fuel and provisions - Prices in Ohio cities, 1825-1892
Shows high, low and average "selling prices" for a variety of food items, as well as soap, hay, coal, etc. for each year during the 1830s. Prices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 799-801. Prices in Columbus for 1835-1839 are on pages 815-816. Both are part of a longer table that shows annual price data from 1825-1892. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th annual report.
Ohio prices, 1830-1862
Table shows the price of coffee, sugar and tallow candles by the pound; corn and wheat by the bushel and hogs per each 100 pounds for each of these years: 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860, 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual Report (1863).
New Hampshire prices, 1830s
The 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of prices dating from the 1830s; pages 41-45 focus on 1830-1840.
Massachusetts - Prices for household items
Unless noted otherwise, the extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Furniture
  Bedsteads, bed cords, bureaus, tables and chairs are listed, with some prices dating to the 1790s.
- Carpetings
  Prices date to 1794.
- Cutlery
  Prices for table knives and forks back to 1780s, and pocket knives back to 1801.
- Paper
  Letter paper, priced by the sheet, dating to 1780s.
- Tallow, candles, soap, etc.
  Soap prices date to 1770s.
- Oils for Illumination
  Oils to light lamps and lanterns, dating back to the 1780s
- Fuel
  Charcoal, oak wood, pine wood, coal, etc.
- Miscellaneous, not elsewhere classified
  Price for brooms, brass kettles, brick, matches, tubs, tumblers, clocks, candlesticks, silver watches, feathers (by the pound), wine glasses and more. Prices for some items date to 1750s.
- Tobacco and snuff
  Prices for cigars by the dozen, and tobacco and snuff by the pound or (sometimes) ounce. Tobacco prices date to 1760s.

PRICES for CLOTHING and SEWING SUPPLIES, 1830s

Prices paid for items purchased by Native Americans, 1838-1839
This document shows how much the Caddo Indian tribe in the Louisiana/ east Texas area paid to purchase items such as frying pans, fur hats, children's shoes, men's boots, tobacco, sugar, coffee, corn, pork, whiskey, brandy, gin, dishes, calico cloth, scissors, needles, rifles, saddlebags, etc. Prices are recorded in a congressional document.
Prices paid by trappers in the American west, 1830s
This memoir from Alexander Majors, "70 Years on the Frontier" tells some typical prices paid by trappers. Not a government document.
Massachusetts - Prices for clothing and sewing supplies
Unless noted otherwise, the extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Clothing
  Hats, handerchiefs and stockings back to the 1760s; gloves, breeches, pantaloons, hose and coats back to 1780s; shawls and vests back to the 1790s; mittens and waistcoats back to the 1810s.
- Cloth
  Prices for some types of cloth back to 1770s
- Dress goods
  Prices for alpaca wool and calico by the yard, as well as batiste, cambric, cashmere, crape, gingham, gauze, lawn, muslin, linsey woolsey, plaid, poplin, satin, silk, velvet and many other fabric types, some back to the 1770s but most back to the early 1780s. More fabrics are listed under the Dry Goods heading.
- Dry goods
  Prices for blankets back to the 1780s, cotton flannel, damask and denim, diaper cloth, shirtings, ticking, and more, some dating to the 1750s.
- Boots, shoes and leather
  Prices reported by the individual pair or by component such as buckles, leather, buttons, braid, fringe, etc. Detailed prices for style and type of shoe, boot, sandal, slipper, rubber overshoe, etc. Earliest price dates to 1750s.
- Buttons and dress trimmings
  Button prices reported by the dozen. Fringe and tape by the yard. Earliest price dates to 1780s.
- Ribbons and laces
  Prices date to 1783.
- Small wares
  Yarn, needles, pins, embroidery silk, cotton and linen thread. Some prices date to 1770s.

COST of TRANSPORTATION, 1830s

Ocean passage from Scotland to New York, mid-1830s
Emigrant's guide tells that ocean passage in a cabin with provisions would cost £12, or it could cost less than £5 for steerage with no provisions. Children traveled at half or one third price. This source includes an exchange rate table for pounds and dollars. (source)
Railroad and stagecoach passenger fare on the Boston-Lowell lines, 1835
Source: "Boston and Lowell railroad" in Massachusetts, legislative testimony published in 1867.
Boston - Rail and stage fares, 1837 & 1838
Annual editions of The Boston almanac detail railroad fare in 1837; railroad and stage fare in 1838.
New York - Hackney Coach Rates, 1830s
Annual editions of this pocket guide for travelers include rates of fare for hackney coaches in New York: 1830, 1831, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1838, and 1839. Source: The tourist, or Pocket manual for travellers on the Hudson River, the western and northern canals and railroads.
Travel from New York to Toronto - 1834
This travelogue tells the author's travel expenses from New York to Toronto (includes steamboat, railroad, and mail coach fares as well as meals and lodging along the way). Also tells steam boat fare from New York to Albany and stage fare to Niagara Falls (from Fort Niagara).

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Source: Journal of an excursion to the United States and Canada in the year 1834 by a citizen of Edinburgh (1835).
Rail travel in New York State, 1839
This travelers guide includes fares for a number of New York excursions, such as from Albany to Schenectady on the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad and from Troy to Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs on the Schenectady & Saratoga Railroad. Source: The Hudson River guide and tour to the springs (1839). Not a government document.

Image source: Scriber's Magazine, July 1888, p. 175

Passenger fare - Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1832-33
Maryland law fixed the fare of B&O Railroad's Washington branch at $2.50 in both 1832 and 1833. Source: 8th Annual report of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company (1834).
Railroad fares with various railroad companies - 1830s
Issues of the American railroad journal contain advertisements and other fare announcements, such as: Paterson and Hudson River Railroad fare in 1832, Paterson and New York Railroad line fare in 1835, and New Jersey Railroad fare in May, 1837.

COST of LAND, 1830s

Land price in Michigan, 1830
"The price of unsold wild lands is fixed and uniform, being $1.25 per acre; the terms ready money...." Land was purchased direct from the U.S. government. Source: The Emigrants' guide, or, Pocket gazetteer of the surveyed part of Michigan.

PRICES for TOOLS and BUILDING MATERIALS, 1830s

Massachusetts - Prices for hardware and building materials
Unless noted otherwise, the extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Tools and implements
  Hoes, shovels, spades, files, etc. priced by the dozen or when sold individually. Earliest price figure is from 1790s.
- Lumber
  Price for boards, plank, shingles, timber, clapboards, etc. by the foot.
- Tacks, brads and nails
  Priced by the pound. Earliest prices date to 1790s.

COST of HEALTH CARE and INSURANCE, 1830s

Workplace-based health care and paid sick leave in Massachusetts, 1830s
This source describes payroll deductions taken for a "sick fund" which provided paid sick leave for employees. It also tells that a hospital stay was $4 per week for men, or $3 per week for women. Unhealthy conditions in textile factories are documented on pages 100-108. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set #5693.
Medical services in Washington, DC - Rates and charges, 1833-1840
Services listed include a consultation, venesection, tooth extraction, operations, amputations, midwifery, vaccinations, stitched and dressing, treatment for syphilis and gonorrhea, and various other fees. The entry for the Medical Association of Washington D.C. in The American Medical Almanac for 1840 shows the fee bill established in 1833.
Medical services in New York state - Rates and charges, 1837-1838
Shows the fees for a doctor's visit and consultations, obstetrical services, vaccinations, amputations, assisting with fractured bones, dislocated joints and other medical services. Volume 18 of the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal reports on the Washington County (NY) Medical Society, including their fee bill for services.
Medical fees in Pittsburg, PA - 1836
This 1836 fee bill sets rates for medical services performed by the physicians of Pittsburg, it was published in the November 1897 issue of the Pennsylvania Medical Journal.
Physicians fees in Connecticut, 1829-1838
This list of fees for physicians in the New Haven, CT area was established in 1829 and was not revised until 1838. It set prices for day and night visits, consultations, mileage, parturition, venesection, cathartic, and emetic.

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Source: The practice of medicine in New Haven following the revolution by Creighton Barker (1924).

COST of ATTENDING COLLEGE, 1830s

These are publications direct from the colleges; they are not government documents. Contact us if you need tuition data for other institutions.

Amherst College (Massachusetts) 1832
Bowdoin College and Medical School (Maine) 1832
Dartmouth College (New Hampshire), 1830
Annual tuition was $27. Average room rent was $7.50. Board ranged from $1.12 to $1.75 per week. Also gives rates for wood, lighting, washing and incidentals.
South Hanover College and Indiana Theological Seminary, 1832-1833
Shows tuition by the "session" of which there were two per year.
Indiana Theological Seminary and Hanover College, 1835-1836
Marietta College (Ohio) 1837-1838

PRICES for SERVICES, 1830s

Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863
Chart from the Historian of the United States Postal Service shows price to mail a domestic letter. Not included are postage rates for ship and steamboat letters and "drop letters" (for local delivery), which were assigned different rates.
Price of a newspaper or newspaper subscription
We recommend using the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" website to find prices and subscription rates for individual newspaper titles in specific years. Click into the site and set the year boxes to your date range. Click "GO" and then check the "Show only front pages" box. If the price is not in the masthead, search for publisher's information somewhere in the body of the paper - often in the left column of the front page. Annual subscription rates are likely to be described there.

Prices in Foreign Countries, 1830-1839

Prices in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1830s

Click the tabs above for single countries.

Value of money in different countries of Europe, expressed in dollars and cents
Gives the dollar value for farthings, pennies, groats, shillings, crowns, pounds and guineas in Great Britain ca. 1830, and similarly lists all the types of money in each of the other countries, including Russia and Turkey. As listed in the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge published in 1830. Scroll to bottom of page for the start of the table. Not a government document.

Prices in CANADA, 1830s

Price for travel from British Isles to Canada - early 1830s
Emigrant's guide tells the price of ocean passage and the cost of trips by steamboat in Canada. Guide was prepared by published by His Majesty's Commissioners for Emigration in 1832.
Canada - Prices and wages by region, early 1830s
1832 Emigrant's guide shows prices, wages, cost of rent, and more for upper Canada, lower Canada, and New Brunswick on pages 13-18.

Prices in FRANCE, 1830s

French prices, mid-1830s
The English book Stranger's Guide to Paris (published 1837) tells the cost to travel from London to Paris, costs to travel within France, food at certain inns, admission for a hot mineral bath, swimming lessons, ticket prices at theaters, and more. All prices are given in English pounds, shilling and pence, but there is an exchange rate table between English and French money and an explanation of French coinage on the previous page. Although this book is primarily for tourists, it shows prices for services not typically needed by tourists such as the price for funerals and cemetery plots. To find more, use the full text search feature to search for words such as sous, price, admission and francs.

Prices in GREAT BRITAIN, 1830s

Manchester, England - Household income and expenditures, 1836 and 1841
Twelve Manchester families' income and expenditures are listed individually on pages 323-332. Shows how much each family spent per week on rent, various food items, coffee, tea, salt, soap, candles, etc. Source: Journal of the Statistical Society of London.
England - Bread prices, 1817-1846
Shows average prices of bread in England for each year from 1660-1899 on pages 27-35. Source: Three Centuries of Prices of Wheat, Flour and Bread (not a government document). The introduction to this table explains that these prices are for the type of bread consumed by lower middle classes, not the "fancy bread." Price sources are provided on page 21-22.
Average house rent in Great Britain, 1821-1881
Also calculates average house rent per house inhabitant. Does not include Ireland. Amounts shown in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 236.
Price for travel from British Isles to Canada - early 1830s
Emigrant's guide tells the price of ocean passage and the cost of trips by steamboat in Canada. Guide was prepared by published by His Majesty's Commissioners for Emigration in 1832.
Railroad fare - 1835
Shows first, second, and third class fares on the Dublin and Kingstown Railway. Source: American Railroad Journal v. 4 (1835).

Prices in ITALY, 1830s

Italy, Milan - Price of bread, wheat, etc., 1801 to 1908
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 87, Volume XX. Published March 1910.

Prices in SWEDEN, 1830s

Cereal (wheat, rye, barley, oats) prices in Sweden, 1836-1900
This table shows average prices for wheat, rye, barley, and oats in Sweden for 1836 to 1900. Yearly consumption per inhabitant for wheat and rye can be found in another table on page 156 of this book.

Prices and Wages by Decade: 1830-1839